Frayed Edges of a Line
by sutaretagaisce
Summary: Azula and Ty Lee. Fifty sentences corresponding to moments in their relationship. Set epsilon.


**1. Motion**

Ty Lee moves in ways Azula can only aspire to mimic but she falls down as gracelessly as anyone else when pushed, which consoles Azula in her frustration as she finds gravity and exhaustion bringing her to her knees once again.

**2. Cool**

It's a common misconception to think blue fire is colder, but the first time Azula shows the azure flames dancing around her fist Ty Lee feels a chill run down her spine nevertheless.

**3. Young**

Azula is the last born of their group but she never let herself be anything but first in what they do, which never bothers Ty Lee because she had been behind her sisters all her life so what more can Azula usurp?

**4. Last**

A new test of endurance for the young princess is to keep listening while Ty Lee prattles on, easier to comprehend than her tutors' lessons but at the same time far more exhausting.

**5. Wrong**

Ty Lee understands if there is any dichotomy it comes down to what the universe perceives as being right against what Azula says is right and, since it is easier to question the universe than it is to question Azula, Ty Lee makes her choices accordingly.

**6. Gentle**

Azula's touch is precise but never kind, so Ty Lee's part is to ease against her in a way that's almost deceptively comforting.

**7. One**

The problem with being perfect is that a single flaw will ruin everything and Azula tries so, so hard to cover it up but Ty Lee is there and her hands are deft, they know exactly where to strike and "—of all people, you were the last one I would've expected this from."

**8. Thousand**

An entire battalion is a calculated sacrifice and Ty Lee shudders to think of how people could forget her identity among six sisters, much less a thousand soldiers; but Azula calls her by name, sought her out, so there must be a difference when she is sent to the front line.

**9. King**

Azula will be Fire Lord; she will rule as her father, grandfather, and great-grandfather did; things will not be so different—she will still have Ty Lee and Mai, who will always be her subjects even if rulers are no longer allowed the indulgence of friends.

**10. Learn**

Love is foreign to her, so the Fire Nation princess studies it the way one studies enemy nations by looking on from a distance as the weaknesses present themselves—Ty Lee and Mai as her unwitting teachers, demonstrating with their stumbling and silent examples (yet Azula can't call them weak, not completely).

**11. Blur**

Azula breaks rank to give chase to the Avatar and without a second-glance her figure vanishes into dust and embers; although Ty Lee has no time to look, busy guarding her escape against all the others she's left behind.

**12. Wait**

Prodigal and empty-handed, the princess returns hours late to find Ty Lee's time on watch spent sleeping soundly by the campfire with _her_ bedroll used as a makeshift pillow.

**13. Change**

She knows there's no use in expecting Azula to be anything different from what she is—after all, she's beautiful, smart, and the most amazing person Ty Lee's ever met, but sometimes she can't help wishing how things really would be perfect if only Azula could be a little _nicer_.

**14. Command**

The princess's orders are clear and unquestionable, still Ty Lee knows that her most off-handed requests are no less absolute when she courts someone's attention.

**15. Hold**

Azula's grip on people is subtlety perfected with words, glances, and meaningful absence; but Ty Lee only knows to hold by embracing, and it baffles the princess how sometimes a mere hug can stop and make her linger.

**16. Need**

"It's not necessary, but if you tag along it might be less dull," Azula says and Ty Lee hears, _'I don't_ need _you but I want you with me anyway.'_

**17. Vision**

The princess looks out at the horizon and sees what she's meant to conquer, where Ty Lee sees a pretty sunset and spends the remaining daylight describing its beauty even though Azula is standing right beside her.

**18. Attention**

"It's not a new perspective if you stand on your head," Azula points out with a dry, indifferent sarcasm that Ty Lee ignores because upside down Azula's scowl looks almost like a smile.

**19. Soul**

Ty Lee believes in auras because she can see them as a beautiful pallet of people's energy and emotions, but she knows their beauty has no correlation for how cruel a person can be.

**20. Picture**

Zuko throws their family portrait into the makeshift fire while Azula watches it burn and only Ty Lee seems regretful that the memory was used as kindling when all she needed was someone's arm around her to keep her warm.

**21. Fool**

"I'm here because you're still my friend," Ty Lee says and wraps her fingers around the bars of Azula's cell as if that is the only thing between them.

**22. Mad**

"I may be in an asylum now, but..." Azula sneers and there is fire in her voice if not her bound hands, "I must have been insane before to ever think you were a friend of mine, you traitorous circus freak!"

**23. Child**

Ursa often debates confronting Ozai in his raising of their daughter, until she sees her chasing after Ty Lee with a look of joy that bears no resemblance to his and thinks perhaps she is overreacting.

**24. Now**

She sits in the dark, farther from the sun than she has ever been, and yet the things she feels most lacking are two figures she parted with effortlessly years ago...but then Azula assumes she had never truly lost them until this moment.

**25. Shadow**

Azula is fire but she is also the ominous shadow of a solid object cast by its flame, and sometimes Ty Lee is unsure what side of her is more terrifying when waiting in the half-light.

**26. Goodbye**

The war ends with enmity long since overshadowing their friendship, yet when they meet for the last time neither can accept the bitter finality of their parting while the rest of the world reconciles in peace.

**27. Hide**

They spy on Zuko and Mai's dates sometime, Azula pressed up against Ty Lee in the dark corners of the garden to escape suspicion, closer together than the subjects they watch.

**28. Fortune**

Ty Lee's view of fortune that it was a kind of like doing cartwheel, one moment spinning high and the next brought low with a fluttering uncertainty in your stomach; worse still that Azula, high-born prodigy Azula, proves her example best when she stumbles and falls harder than Ty Lee ever will.

**29. Safe**

She doesn't have a reason for it, life is more dangerous traveling in enemy territory than it ever was at the circus, but when they go to their tents at night Ty Lee feels secure with Mai and Azula sleeping a few feet away from her.

**30. Ghost**

The first and best friend Ty Lee makes among the Kyoshi warriors has gold-flecked hazel eyes and two long bangs tapered to frame the sides of her face.

**31. Book**

Mai hopes historians overlook them when writing about Azula's campaigns but Ty Lee hopes they don't, propaganda makes things sound nicer than reality and she'd prefer to remember that version in the end.

**32. Eye**

Grey eyes were a marking of airbenders Azula once read and yet never ventured to ask Ty Lee if there might be any link between them, because she also read what her great-grandfather had done to the extinct people and found it oddly difficult to be proud of the victory with Ty Lee's expectant gaze on her.

**33. Never**

Ty Lee strikes Azula once in the arm and twice in the back, the whole time praying a hopeless constant mantra that she might someday forgive her.

**34. Sing**

"But I think your voice is pretty," Ty Lee protests as the princess laughs, a musical sound if it wasn't so full of scorn.

**35. Sudden**

Looking back, Azula knows she can recognize the moments where Mai's resistance would finally turn the girl against her, but Ty Lee remains an unexpected and confounding betrayal.

**36. Stop**

"Azula, please—" Ty Lee has always been more than flexible "—you're _hurting_ me—" but everyone has a breaking point.

**37. Time**

"I don't have time for your stupid games now," Azula shouts over her shoulder, not bothering to say a polite goodbye since it will be all Ty Lee's fault if she's late for her lesson.

**38. Wash**

Azula teases Ty Lee for leaving so many grass stains on her uniform that scrubbing them out would fade its blood red brilliance, to which Ty Lee replies, "That's okay, I think pink is more my color."

**39. Torn**

Ty Lee's tears make her want to apologize but her pride keeps her silent, so all Azula does is pull the girl's hands from her face and hold them captive until she can decide what costs less to part with.

**40. History**

It's unheard of stupidity, she bears the namesake of the great Fire Lord Azulon and all this girl can do is giggle and say, "Azula? I've never heard that name before but it sounds pretty."

**41. Power**

The princess of the Fire Nation holds the very lightning in her hands—capable of destroying anyone who stands against her, even herself if she loses control—so Ty Lee stays ready and close by as if her presence can somehow keep a wild storm at bay.

**42. Bother**

Although she always acts like Ty Lee is interrupting, Azula never complains when the acrobat stays and quietly lingers until she finishes her task.

**43. God**

There must be something incomprehensible but benevolent to the universe's plans, Ty Lee tells herself, something to justify all the suffering and pain that she can't figure out, but maybe Azula knows—she _has_ to know to cause so much of it.

**44. Wall**

She doesn't know when it happened but over the course of their growing up a barrier had come between them, flickering and impenetrable as the one the Fire Lord keeps to separate himself from his subjects.

**45. Naked**

Azula without armor, makeup, or hair done just so is still beautiful but so rare to come across that Ty Lee cannot see how it is the same girl (because she seems almost vulnerable).

**46. Drive**

When Azula asks her friend what plans she has after graduating the Royal Fire Academy for Girls, Ty Lee always shrugs and makes an incurious noise before following after her.

**47. Harm**

The laughter cuts deeper than her nails; "Oh please, did you honestly think I _meant_ it?"

**48. Precious**

There are boys who may cherish her and fawn over her every move, but Ty Lee firmly believes she means more to Azula than she ever could to them because the princess asks for feats beyond a simple kiss.

**49. Hunger**

For all the confidence and predatory curve of Azula's smile, there is a starved feeling in the way she disentangles herself when the acrobat throws her arms around her.

**50. Believe**

If Azula believes in nothing and Ty Lee believes in Azula she idly wonders if that's enough to make up for when plans and ability alone can't guarantee them victory (and it's still not enough to swallow up the doubt).


End file.
